International Cooperation in International Cooperation in Water Management and Water Management and Pollution Control in the Pollution Control in the

Danube River BasinDanube River BasinJoachim Bendow, Joachim Bendow,

ICPDR Executive SecretaryICPDR Executive Secretary

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The Danube River Basin, a cultural and historical centre of Europe

The Danube River Protection Convention

A legal frame for co-operation to assure the protection of water and ecological

resources and their sustainable use in the Danube River Basin

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Danube River Protection Convention OBJECTIVES

Ensure sustainable and equitable water management;

Ensure conservation, improvement and the rational use of surface waters and ground water;

Control discharge of waste waters, inputs of nutrients and hazardous substances from point and non-point sources of emissions;

Control floods and ice hazards; Control hazards originating from accidents (warning

and preventive measures); Reduce pollution loads of the Black Sea from sources

in the Danube catchment area.

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Contracting parties to the DRPC

• Austria• Bulgaria• Croatia• Czech Republic• Germany • Hungary• Moldova

• Romania• Slovakia• Slovenia• Ukraine (waiting deposition)• the EC• BiH (observer)• Yugoslavia (requested)

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International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River

(ICPDR)has been established to implement the

objectives and provisions and to achieve the goals of the Danube River

Protection Convention

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Organisational Structure under the Danube River Protection Convention

CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES

Programme ManagementTask Force (PMTF)

– Co-ordination and implementation of donor supported activities

– Development of financing mecha-nisms for project execution

(currently suspended)

International Commissionfor the Protection

of the Danube River(ICPDR)

– Implementation of Danube River Protection Convention (DRPC)

– Decision making, management and coordi-nation of regional cooperation

– Approval of the budget and annual workprogramme

– Follow up of activities and evaluation of re-sults from Expert Groups

– Joint Action Programme

Permanent Secretariat (PS)– Supporting the ICPDR sessions– Supporting the Expert Groups (and PMTF)– Co-ordinating the work programme– Supporting project development and implementation– Maintenance of the Information System

UNDP/GEFDanube Regional Project

– Creation of sustainable ecological conditions for land use and water management

– Capacity building and reinforcement of trans-boundary cooperation– Strengthening public involvement in environmental decision making– Reinforcement of monitoring, evaluation and information system

ad-hocStrategic Expert Group

( S / EG )– Strategic issues– Legal issues– Administrative and financial

issues

River Basin Management( RBM / EG )

– Integrated river basin management

– Implementation of EU Wa-ter Framework Directive

Monitoring, Laboratory &Information Management

( MLIM / EG )– Trans-National Monitoring

Network (TNMN)– Laboratory Quality Assu-

rance

Emission( EMIS / EG )

– Emissions from point sources

– Emissions from diffuse sources

– Guidelines on BAT

Accident Prevention and Control ( APC / EG )

– Accidental pollution incidents

– AEWS operations– Accident prevention

Ecology( ECO / EG )

– Habitats and species protection areas

– Management of wetlands and floodplains

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ICPDR Joint Action Programme

River Basin Management and implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive;

Policies and Strategies of the JAP

Emission inventory and pollution reduction; Restoration of wetlands and flood plains; Transnational Monitoring Network (TNMN) and

extended water quality standards; Priority substances / recommendations on BAT & BEP; Accident warning system (AEWS) and prevention; Flood control and sustainable flood prevention; Domestic and basin wide water balance.

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Investments and expected results(Joint Action Programme / Five Years Nutrient Reduction Plan)

Investments: Municipal waste water collection & treatment: 3.709 billion USD Industrial waste water treatment: 0.276 billion USD Agricultural projects and land use: 0.113 billion USD Rehabilitation of wetlands: 0.323 billion USD

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Nitrogen reduction:• from point sources : 58,600 t/y• from diffuse sources : 60,000 t/y• total emission reduction : 22 %

Phosphorus reduction:• from point sources : 12,000 t/y• from diffuse sources : 4,000 t/y• total emission reduction : 33 %

Total Investment Costs for Proposed Projects (Joint Action Programme / Five Years Nutrient Reduction Plan)

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0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

mill

Eur

o

GER A CZ SK HUN SLO CRO B&H YUG BUL ROM MOL UA

WetlandsAgriculturalIndustrial Municipal

International Cooperation

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Danube Regional Project (started in December 2001) Cooperation with the Black Sea Commission Danube - Black Sea Task Force (DABLAS) Joint Implementation of EU Water Framework

Directive in the Danube River Basin

Strengthening the Strengthening the Implementation Capacities for Implementation Capacities for

Nutrient Reduction and Nutrient Reduction and Transboundary CooperationTransboundary Cooperation

UNDP/GEF Assistance to the ICPDRUNDP/GEF Assistance to the ICPDR

THE ACTIONS1. Creation of sustainable ecological conditions for

land use and water management 2. Capacity building and reinforcement of

transboundary cooperation for the improvement of water quality and environmental standards in the Danube Basin

3. Strengthening of public involvement in environmental decision making and reinforcement of community actions for pollution reduction and protection of ecosystems

4. Reinforcement of monitoring, evaluation and information systems for transboundary pollution control and nutrient reduction

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Cooperation with the Black Cooperation with the Black Sea CommissionSea Commission

Long-term goal: to permit Black Sea ecosystems to recover to conditions observed in 1960s;

Intermediate goal: to avoid nutrients load exceeding those in the mid of 1990s;

Harmonization of standards to assure comparable assessment;

Assessment and reporting on ecological status and input loads;

Adoption of strategies for pollution reduction while assuring economic development in the region;

Analysis of results achieved by 2007 and review of measures to achieve the long term goal.

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Memorandum of Understanding on Common Strategic Goals

Danube - Black Sea Task Force for cooperation on water protection in the wider

Black Sea Region

(DABLAS Task Force)

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Platform for cooperation for the protection of water and water related ecosystems of the wider Black Sea Region through developing: Project database and indicators for

prioritisation of investment projects Financing mechanisms and facilitating

cooperation between IFIs, bilateral donors and recipient countries

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Purpose of the DABLAS Task Force

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International cooperation is essential to assure sustainable management of international waters.

....and only then you can catch the big fish.....

for further information see www.icpdr.org

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